Cake lifting tool



March 13, 1956 J. R. FENIMORE CAKE LIFTING TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 1, 1952 2 2, pp/F? I ii.-

INVENTOR. JOHN R. PEN/MORE BY fl a ATTOR Y- March 13, 1956 2,738,219

J. R. FENIMORE CAKE LIF'TING TOOL Filed Nov. 1, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. JOHN R PEN/MORE A rromv:

March 13, 1956 J. R. FENIMORE CAKE'LIFTING TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledNOV. 1, 1952 a I iw 5 m 0 w E l Z 7 u M I m h v 0 xiv I I 9 e 9 2 Z I Iw m a Q E A V. I 6 9 2 m /u I. m L q 5 IZL /2 II- fi I I I I I I I I l II I I I I I INVENTOR. JOHN R. FEN/MORE ATTORNI)" United States PatentCAKE LIFTING TOOL John R. Fenimore, Media, Pa., assignor to AmericanViscose Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of DelawareApplication November 1, 1952, Serial No. 318,206

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-93) This invention relates to lifting tools and moreparticularly to a device useful in removing cakes of artificial yarnfrom spinning buckets.

The present invention represents an improvement over prior art devicesof this type in that it provides a plurality of supporting bars for thecake which extend completely from one end of the cake to the other.These bars are connected by means of a parallelogram linkage to providestraight line radial movement thereof. This feature together with thelength of the bars and their convex outer configuration minimizes oreliminates damage to the fibers of the cake.

A primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide acollapsible lifting tool for yarn cakes having a plurality of barsextending axially from one end of the cake to the other.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved yarn cakelifting tool in which the bars or members of the tool which engage thebore of a cake move radially in a straight line to prevent chafing ordamage to the yarn fibers in the bore of the cake.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cake lifting tool constructedin accordance with the invention as seen at I-I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a top view of a lifting tool constructed in accordance withthe invention;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the cake engaging barsexpanded in lifting position; and

Figure 4 is a sectional detail as seen at IV-IV of Figure 3. i

The invention comprises essentially the provision of a plurality of,preferably three, elongated cake. engaging bars or members which areslidably connected to a spider at each end of the bars. The spider isprovided with a rigid handle and a spring-loaded plunger extends throughthe center of the spider to control the radial movement of the bars bymeans of suitably connected links. When the handle on the plunger ispressed towards the rigid handle to compress the spring, the bars aremoved radially outward so that the outer faces of the bars are parallelto the centerline of the plunger at all times.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a preferred embodimentof the invention comprises a spider 5 having three slotted arms 6, 6, 6which extend radially from the center of the spider at included anglesof approximately 120". It will be understood that the lifting tool mayhave any number of arms more than two. The cake engaging members or bars7, 7 are of T- cross-section (Figure 4) the outer faces thereof beingconvex and of approximately the same radius as the bore of a cake 8shown in phantom in Figures 3 and 4. The lower ends of each bar arecurved inwardly at 9, 9 to facilitate the insertion of the lifting toolin the cake Without damage. The upper ends 10, 10 of each bar areflattened and extend through the slots 11, 11 in the side arms 6, 6 ofthe spider 5. Pins 12, 12 suitably retain the bars 10 in the spider andpermit free radial movement of the ends 10 in the slots 11.

The center of the spider 5 is provided with a sleeve 15 which isdesirably lined with a bushing 16 through which a rod or plunger 17 isslidable. The rigid handle 18 is secured to sleeve 15 so that the handle18 and the spider 5 form a unitary structure. A second handle 20 isconnected to the top of. plunger 17 and retained thereon by means of alock nut 21 and the plunger is controlled in its sliding action throughbushing 16 by means of a helical compression spring 22 extending betweennut 21 and a counterbore in handle 18.

On the opposite side of spider 5, the plunger 17 is provided with asmall upper spider 25 adjustably secured thereto by means of a set screw26 and a small lower spider 27 secured to the plunger by a set screw 28.Spiders 25 and 27 are bifurcated, as shown in Figure 4, and eachpivotally supports three links 29, 29, 29 which are desirably of equallength. The outer ends of links 29 are bifurcated and pivotallyconnected to their respective bars 7, 7 at 30, 30.

In the unstressed or collapsed condition shown in Figure 1, plunger 17is urged upwardly by spring 22 which in turn causes collars 25 and 27 toretract bars 7, 7 radially inward through links 29, 29. The bars,however, are maintained parallel to the centerline of the plunger due tothe control of the axial position of the bars by pins 12, 12. When it isdesired to lift the cake of yarn or some other annular object, thedevice is inserted into the bore of the cake as shown in Figure 3 andthe handles 18 and 20 are squeezed together to urge the plunger 17downwardly and thus expand the bars 7, 7 against the bore of the cake.Due to the radial straight line motion of the bars, there is noslidingtor axial movement whatever of the bars in engaging the bore ofthe cake. Furthermore, the length of the bars is such that the maximumaxial area of the bore is contacted by the convex faces of each bar.

it will be thus understood that I have provided a relaatively simple,inexpensive cake lifting apparatus by which delicate annular objects maybe lifted from place to place without injury to the bore thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A lifter for yarn packages and the like comprising a supportingmember, walls defining at least two substantially radially extendingslots in said supporting member, a cake engaging bar extending througheach of said slots and freely slidable therein, means for axiallyretaining each of said bars in the slots, a sleeve rigidly mounted onsaid supporting member, a plunger extending through said sleeve, a fixedhandle on said sleeve, a handle on said plunger, and a plurality oflinks pivotally connected between the plunger and the arms to move thearms radially with respectto the centerline of the plunger.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the supporting membercomprises a spider having three arms spaced substantially at apart andin which there is a bar in each arm of the spider.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 having a parallelogram linkageconnecting the bars and the plunger.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 having a compression spring betweenthe plunger and the supporting member.

5. A lifter for yarn packages and the like comprising a supportingmember, walls defining at least two substantially radially extendingslots in said supporting member, a cake engaging bar having a flattenedend extending through each of said slots and freely slidable therein, anelongated convex face on each of said bars, means for Patented Mar. 13,1956 slidablyflretaining ,a flattened end of each of said bars in theslots, a sleeve rigidly mounted on said supporting member, a plungerslidably supported in said sleeve, a handle secured to said sleeve, ahandle on said plunger, a-compression spring operatively associatedbetween said handles, and a parallelogram linkage connecting the otherend of the plunger with the bars whereby relative movement of theplunger in the sleeve moves the bars radially with respect to the'centerline of the plunger.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which the length of theparallelogram linkage is such that the outer 4 faces of the bars areparallel to the centerline of the plunger at all times.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS682,021 Bennet Sept. 3, 1901 768,897 Gunn Aug. 30, 1904 1,219,398Huntsman Mar. 13, 1917 1,762,796 Ridenour June 10, 1930 1,764,481Watkins June 17, 1930 2,241,021 Riebe May 6, 1941

1. A LIFTER FOR YARN PACKAGES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A SUPPORTINGMEMBER, WALLS DEFINING AT LEAST TWO SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY EXTENDINGSLOTS IN SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, A CAKE ENGAGING BAR EXTENDING THROUGHEACH OF SAID SLOTS AND FREELY SLIDABLE THEREIN, MEANS FOR AXIALLYRETAINING EACH OF SAID BARS IN THE SLOTS, A SLEEVE RIGIDLY MOUNTED ONSAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, A PLUNGER EXTEND-